Elena Vane lunges for the records bundle, snatching the exposed carbon copy slip before the stranger can see it. Dallas kicks the file room door wide, revolver up, and the hallway catches in a hard slice of fluorescent light.
The Stranger in the dark coat freezes mid-stride. Their hand hangs at the waistband, not drawn yet, not innocent either. Murderbone plants himself low and snarls, the sound rolling through the floorboards like a warning shot.
Elena Vane
You are not taking that out of here.
Elena presses flat to the wall, clutching the slip and the cleanup envelope against her chest. Her eyes flick from Dallas to the exit, measuring distance, angle, and the stranger's next move in a single breath.
Mara Quill
Easy. I am not here for you.
Dallas holds the line in the doorway. The stranger's coat shifts, revealing an empty hand and a glimpse of a badge clip, then they stop themselves before reaching for it.
Elena Vane
Bell's people are already here. So is the cleanup.
Murderbone's growl deepens. The corridor, the file room, and Elena's stolen paper all lock into one ugly, narrow choice.
✓ Quest Accepted
Keep the records out of the cleanup
“I step forward and demand the stranger show their hands.”
SUCCESS (Fair Willpower, rolled +0)
Dallas steps out from the doorway, slow and measured, revolver steady. The stranger stops dead and lifts both hands, palms open in the fluorescent glare.
Dallas Fontaine
Hands up. Right where I can see them.
The stranger’s badge clip swings into view as they raise their wrists higher, empty hands spread wide. Elena tightens her grip on the records bundle, keeping the slip pressed to her chest.
Mara Quill
Easy. I’m not reaching for anything.
Dallas takes another half step forward. The corridor behind the stranger is clear now, but a second shape stirs at the far end, just beyond the spill of light.
Elena Vane
That badge is not enough. Tell him your name.
Mara Quill
If Bell’s cleanup is here, we do this fast. I’m Detective Mara Quill, Internal Review.
At the name, the stranger’s left hand opens wider, showing a folded warrant packet tucked against two fingers. The hallway is still, except for Murderbone’s low, warning rumble.
“I tell Elena to take the watrant pack from quill and confirm it while I take a covered position to keep my gun on the shadowed figure.”
SUCCESS (Superb Investigation, rolled +0)
Dallas Fontaine
Elena, take the warrant packet from Quill and check it. I’ve got the hallway.
Dallas slides left into the shadow of the open doorframe, keeping his revolver trained past the bright strip light. The muzzle stays steady on the dark shape at the far end of the hall.
Elena Vane
Show me your hands, Detective Quill.
Elena reaches out with her free hand and takes the warrant packet in one quick snap, never letting go of the records bundle with the other.
Mara Quill
Internal Review. There’s a transfer order and my badge number on the top sheet.
Mara Quill
And the names match Bell’s cleanup list.
Mara angles the packet toward the light, and Dallas catches the corner detail, a civic annex stamp with tonight’s authorization time. The shadowed figure at the far end stays still.
Elena Vane
This is real. Quill, talk fast, who sent you here?
“I have Elena read the warrant packet aloud”
SUCCESS (Superb Perception, rolled +1)
Elena scans the page once, then turns it so both Dallas and Mara can see the seal and signatures.
Elena Vane
Temporary transfer authority, tonight only. Internal Review escort required. Cleanup manifests must be surrendered to Civic Annex intake.
Mara Quill
That matches my badge trail. And the intake code here is Bell's office code, not mine.
Elena's eyes flick over the bottom line. Her thumb stops on a handwritten note tucked beside the stamp.
Elena Vane
Wait. It says, retrieve files before Bell arrives. He is expected in person.
At the far end of the corridor, the dark silhouette shifts at last, one shoe scraping softly on tile.
Mara Quill
Dallas, that was not on the packet. Someone is still out there.
✓ Quest Accepted
Prevent Bell from taking the records
− Scene Quest Removed
Keep the records out of the cleanup
“I signal Murderbone to flank the figure while I secure the records.”
SUCCESS (Superb Agility, rolled +1)
Dallas gives the smallest signal, and Murderbone breaks right, silent as a shadow under the fluorescent glare.
At the same time, Dallas snatches the records bundle to his chest and slides it back behind his coat, out of easy reach.
Mara Quill
They are moving on Bell's paperwork, not just guarding it.
Elena Vane
Careful, Dallas. If Bell walks in, he cannot see that slip first.
Murderbone reaches the corridor mouth and cuts the angle toward the far silhouette, forcing it to shift back into the dark.
Dallas fingers the top page of the bundle and peels it free. A second intake mark, hidden under the cleanup sheet, matches the annex drawer code.
Mara Quill
That confirms it. Bell is tied to this stack, and he will know it when he sees that code.
Quest Complete
Prevent Bell from taking the records